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Makarte
Makarte Neutral Good Large Town (South) Corruption +2; Crime -3; Economy +2; Law +3; Lore +1; Society -1 Qualities Deep Traditions, Insular, Racially Tolerant (Lizardfolk) Danger 10 Government Autocracy Population 3,700 (2,400 human, 300 Lizardfolk, 300 elf, 200 Vishkanya, 100 Kobold, 100 half-elf, 100 halfling, 200 other) Notable NPCs Lord Tahoda Wadono TN Male Human Aristocrat 7 Mayor Alais Manay CG Female Human Rogue 11 Harbormaster Glint Ronnel NG Male Human Cleric of Harkon 9 Captain Orseus Jombe NG Male Half-Elf Alchemist 10 Merchantmaster Gerome Wainsworth LE Male Lizardfolk Occultist 10 Marketplace Base Value 2000 gp; Purchase Limit 10000 gp; Spellcasting 5th Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 2d4; Major Items 1d4 The trading city of Makarte lies along the ragged and sparsely populated Macuya coastline, and is an important layover for any ship plying the trading routes of the southern seas. It has a bloody history of conflict, being seized and liberated countless times by various powers seeking to leverage advantage over these trade routes. Many of the kingdoms and empires that once laid claim to Makarte now lie in ruin. Most recently it was associated with the Kingdom of Cohaiwa, but the conquest of Cohaiwa by the Empire of Grandia left this small colony both independent and vulnerable. The ruling Wadono family had only a small contingent of soldiers and two warships at their disposal, but Jadeiwa Wadono quickly moved to ensure Makarte remained prosperous and safe. In her time she was successful, playing foreign powers against each other while retaining mercenaries and growing the small fleet of warships that protected the territorial waters around Makarte. How she maintained the cities coffers amidst this massive expenditure remains a mystery, but her successors proved much less able than her. It was only three years after her death that the treasury of the city was emptied. Jadeiwa's successor, Madaho Wadono, raised taxes and began to cut deals with various foreign merchant guilds to keep the town afloat. While the Wadono family remains relatively wealthy they now rule in name only. The real powers in town are the trade guilds they made deals with. These powerbrokers elect the mayor, who makes all decisions of importance in the town. The traditional locals resent this, but they have little recourse as the merchant guilds pay for the mercenaries that keep them safe. Although outside of the sphere of influence of Grandia, lizardfolk traders routinely ply the southern seas and make stops here. They are arrogant and dismissive of the legitimacy of any human authority, but their coin and the ominous threat of their great empire ensures that they remain welcome and well-treated. They are essentially immune to the local laws, and even the most flagrant offenses seldom merit more than a fine. Makarte has a reputation as an unflappable neutral safe zone, and an enemy of piracy. Traders who pass through its territorial waters are guaranteed safe passage. However, this requires a fairly large mercenary fleet and significant funding. Only so much of that coin can come from traders, and a great deal more is skimmed off of smuggling operations based out of Makarte. The town's treasury is constantly in danger of emptying, requiring new and creative sources of income that won't bring the weight of Grandia - or anyone else, for that matter - down on their heads. The port itself is defended by a series of four fortifications that would make landing very difficult for a would-be invader while making it very difficult to blockade all the different approaches to the harbor. Combined with its supporting fleet it has not faced any invasion in the last century. Makarte is a blend of cultures and different peoples from around the southern sea. These people hold on to a variety of strange traditions - many since forgotten in the lands they came from - and the locals take great pride in the cities long history and connections to different kingdoms and empires throughout the world. Category:Location Category:Settlement Category:South Category:Large town Category:Made by Dasrak